Director of Client & Guest Services

National Western Center; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

401k plan with a 4.00% company match

Support for community involvement

Job summary

National Western Center in Denver, Colorado seeks a Director of Event & Guest Services to lead strategic event planning, guest experience, and team management. You will shape event strategies, manage budgets, interpret contracts, and guide a cross‑functional team to meet organizational goals.

Join a startup‑minded, collaborative team accelerating growth at a new events hub and innovation campus, delivering premier spaces and experiences in the Denver market.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management & guest Experience or related field.
• 5–7 years’ experience in event planning and department management.
• Strong leadership and mentoring of staff and department.

Responsibilities

• Reporting on event management in a strategic way for all executive and board meetings.
• Managing workload of Event Management team, assigning all events to team.
• Develop and implement comprehensive event plans and strategies aligned with operations and organizational goals.
• Create and manage event budget, ensuring cost effectiveness and adherence to financial goals.
• Supervise and lead a team, providing guidance and support throughout planning and execution.
• Attend industry events and networking, maintaining a presence in the industry.
• Oversee the guest experience life cycle from arrival to departure.
• Work with operations, sales & marketing to have all items prepared for events.
• Review analytics for client and customer satisfaction, sentiment, behavior, and response times.

Skills

Leadership

Event management

Budgeting

Team management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Event Management & Guest Experience or related field

Job description

The National Western Center (NWC) is a reimagined 250-acre campus in Denver, Colorado with a vision to be the global destination for food and agricultural discovery. It is the new home of the National Western Stock Show and Colorado State University’s Spur campus. But the future National Western Center isn’t just new buildings. It’s a destination unto itself. It’s a mission-oriented place that will be lively and active all year round — with new events and experiences around every corner.

The opportunity:

NWC is in search of a talented Director of Event & Guest Services. This is a senior‑level role responsible for the strategic planning, execution, and oversight of all events for the organization and managing the guest experience (tours, volunteer program, usher, greeter, guest resolution). This will include developing event strategies, managing budgets, interpreting contracts, and ensuring the events management & guest experience team are meeting goals and deadlines. This position will work with partners as needed and departments as well to make sure things are running smoothly and objectives established by the COO.

This is a multifaceted job with a broad spectrum of opportunities for professional development. You’ll join a small, nimble, collaborative, creative, and entrepreneurial team as we accelerate growth of a new events hub and innovation campus in Denver, Colorado. Help us make the reimagined National Western Center campus among the most desirable event spaces in the Denver market!

What you will do:

• Reporting on event management in a strategic way for all executive and board meetings.
• Managing workload of Event Management team, assigning all events to team.
• Develop and implement comprehensive event plans and strategies aligned with operations and organizational goals.
• Create and manage event budget, ensuring cost effectiveness and adherence to financial goals, managing expenses during the planning process in coordination with operations.
• Supervise and lead a team, providing guidance and support throughout the planning and execution of event process.
• Attend industry events and networking, working to maintain a presence in the industry.
• Oversight and manage the guest experience life cycle from arrival to departure.
• Manages and evolve aspects involved with client and attendance time on campus.
• Work with operations, sales & marketing to have all items prepared and in place for events.
• Review analytics for client and customer satisfaction, sentiment, behavior, review response times, accountability, coaches and trains customer interaction, brand values.
• Support usher, volunteer, information, gift shop, greeter programs.
• Anticipates needs of VIP’s, elite segments and tours, special status visitors.
• Work on best practices in the industry and apply to campus practices.
• Work with partners on any event management needs.
• Assist with getting post event evaluations and oversight of settlement of process and post invoicing for NWC.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management & guest Experience or related field.
• 5 – 7 year’s experience in event planning and department management.
• Strong leadership and mentoring of staff and department.
• Experience in Arena, Convention, Stadium, event campuses is helpful.
• This role is physically demanding, requiring standing, walking, lifting, bending for long periods of time.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• High EQ and interpersonal skills.

This job may be a great fit if:

• You embrace the startup nature of the organization, and no job is below you.
• You are detail and results oriented.
• You are an entrepreneurial self-starter.
• You are a skilled problem solver who takes initiative and can communicate clearly with internal and external stakeholders.
• You act with respect, competency, and integrity.
• You work well as part of a team.
• You excel at functioning in high pressure situations while maintaining a calm, professional manner.
• You are a collaborator by nature and seek to find ways to compromise.
• You demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• You have great time management and prioritization skills.
• You are results oriented and exercise sound judgment in your work.
• You have a track record of being dependable.
• You are excited about the opportunity to grow with the organization.
• You are all-in on the mission of the National Western Center.

Work location and hours:

This position can be performed through a mix of on-site and remote work in Denver, Colorado.

Compensation range:

The starting salary is $100,000 – $110,000

What we can offer you:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Paid time off
• Paid parental leave
• 401k plan with a 4.00% company match
• Support for community involvement

Get to know us:

National Western Center is a reimagined 250-acre campus with new indoor and outdoor event venues, and more on the way! The brand-new Stockyards Event Center is a multipurpose space with two arenas, ample parking and views of the Rocky Mountains and theDenver skyline. An outdoor plaza connects it to 20 acres of hardscaped yards for outdoor concerts, festivals, large equipment trade shows, sporting events, drive-in movies and more. The center is just two miles from downtownDenverand adjacent to the RiNo Art District, with easy access fromDenverInternational Airport via I-70. Home to CSU Spur and the National Western Stock Show, the National Western Center is an emerging urban hub for food and agriculture discovery.

In 2018, the campus partnerscreatedthe National Western Center Authority, a nonprofit organization responsible for operating, maintaining, programming, and promoting the National Western Center.The Authority is the primary entity responsible for ensuring the National Western Centerachieves its mission. It isalso responsible for developinga community investment fundbenefiting theresidents of the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods in which the campus is located. The Authority’s work is well underway in preparation forbuildings being completed andthelargercampusopening to the public. The Authority is guided by a 13-member board of directors. The Authority is doing business as (DBA) the National Western Center.

Our mission is to convene the world at the National Western Center to lead, inspire, create, educate, and entertain in pursuit of global food solutions. Join us!

We are dedicated to building a diverse community, one where employees feel a sense of belonging, and are valued for their contributions and the perspectives they bring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.